Mentally-ill man shot after mistaken for prison escapee

Jul 26, 2017 News

Up to press time, doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital were preparing to operate on a 36-year-old man who was shot by the police yesterday in Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Mistaken for prison escapee, Charles Peters

The victim, Charles Peters of Lot 184 Melanie, East Coast Demerara, and a former rank from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was shot to the right arm and back around 12:30 hrs.
According to information received, the police received information that an “untidy looking” man, wearing old clothes, with what seemed to be mud on his skin, was seen in Annandale.
Ranks immediately went to the location where they saw the individual, who began running from them—this resulted in the lawmen opening fire and hitting the man. Upon getting a closer look, residents in the area later identified the victim as someone of unsound mind who did odd jobs for persons in the same village he was shot.
One of the man’s siblings, who declined to give her name, said that after leaving the army, the father of two went to neighbouring Suriname to spend some time. It was when he returned to Guyana that he developed mental issues. She could not say what really transpired, other than receiving a call from someone who informed her that the man had been shot.
Ranks from the Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) are investigating the matter. At least two ranks were seen visiting the former GDF rank at the hospital, but he was unconscious.
Divisional commander, Calvin Brutus could not be reached for a comment yesterday, but ranks in his division confirmed that OPR is dealing with the matter.
Meanwhile, heavily-armed police ranks and soldiers were called to the Camp Street Prison around 08:30 yesterday after it was reported that the 86 high-profile inmates taken there Monday night from the pasture at the Lusignan Prison, were trying to break out.
The inmates are being housed in the concrete building, which was renovated after the fire on July 09, last—it was the only standing structure after the blaze was extinguished. It is unclear as to what led to the inmates behaving in such a disorderly manner yesterday.
According to information received, the prisoners removed mattresses from iron beds in the cells and started banging at the walls of the building and threatening to burn the prison once again.
When this newspaper arrived yesterday, fire tenders were seen at the four corners of the prison as well as soldiers and heavily-armed police ranks.
Kaieteur News was informed that four prisoners, who were identified as the ring leaders, were subsequently placed in one cell where they were given mattresses with no frames.
The 86 prisoners were taken to Camp Street after 13 of their fellow inmates dug their way out of the pasture at Lusignan Prison sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.
Seven of those inmates have since been recaptured.